6'8" Funboard VS. NSP 6'6" Shortboard (NSP)?

[roz]

Hi there!

My boyfriend wants to get a board and we are trying to figure out what might be the best starter board for him.

He's about 5'9" / 170lbs, pretty athletic, and has spent most of his life on a skateboard/snowboard.

He's gone surfing maybe 10 times and rode 7'6 to 6'3 boards (he could balance and paddle on the 6'3, but found it hard to catch waves). He'd like to eventually move towards shortboarding.

Right now he's thinking of getting either the NSP 6'8" Funboard or the NSP 6'6" Shortboard. Can anyone out there tell me how these boards differ in ride?

THANKS!

[Luke]

Hi roz, and welcome.

A funboard would be a far better board to learn on.

Use the search function and read some previous posts. there's loads of info on this topic.

[roz]

hey luke-

thanks for the welcome! great to become a member of the community!

i'll definitely search older posts.

but in the meantime, does anyone have any specific experience on the 6'6" short and 6'8" fun? How does the dimensions affect the ride? Is the 6'6" much more difficult to balance and catch waves on? or are they similar?

John had no problem catching waves and popping up on a 7'6 board, so he went shorter. I think he was good on a 6'8 also. But he last rode a 6'3" shortboard which was difficult.

He's never tried the NSP 6'6" shortboard and is trying to figure out if this might be a BETTER board to purchase (versus the 6'8" that he's already ok on) so he could grow with it a little more. Do 2 inches in length, a pointier tip, and shavings off the sides and width make a huge difference?

Thanks so much for your input--will help us find the right board!!

Roz

[isaluteyou]

Do 2 inches in length, a pointier tip, and shavings off the sides and width make a huge difference?

Yes there will be

[keef]

a fun board wil be MUCH easier to learn on.
It will be more boyant and have much more volume, making it easier to paddle and catch waves......but, it will turn like a truck compared to a shortboard.
if he wants to shortboard, and he is athletic, he may get away with learning on a short board which will be much more difficult to paddle into waves and catch stuff on.

the best thing to do is just hold a funboard, and see how thick it is and how well it will float then hold a short board, IT will seem very light and thin, and YOU have to make up for this in the water, catching waves will not be as easy. But only you can determine how fit you are and if you have the stamina for a shortboard from the start.

[roz]

Thanks for the input--definitely found some super helpful tips on older posts.

[teaweed]

I actually have both of these boards.

I'm 5'7", 155 lbs. I learned on the funboard, then I bought the shortboard used because it was cheap, and I just had the itch to try it out.

FUNBOARD
pros: floats well, stable, moves faster when paddling, catches all types of waves (I took it out in head-high surf before)
cons: very heavy to carry, moves in only one direction (straight), difficult to get past shorebreaks (just have to time it when paddling out or walk it out).

SHORTBOARD
pros: lighter, easier to duckdive (but its still a challenge), can somewhat turn, master it and you can move up to a real shortboard
cons: not as stable as the funboard, does not move fast when paddling, pearls easier than the funboard

I'm still in the early stages of learning... The funshape really helped me out maintain my balance on the board, and its much easier to stand up on.

[NorthernCali33]

Hey im in the exact same situation as the guy above me.
i shred on 7 '4" at santa cruz, but we get pretty good waves. im moving to san diego, mission beach and the surf there is pretty small most of the time, with this great winter we had as an acception.

i can only afford one board for the next year or two, i could do a funboard or a shortboard like 6' "4

im 6'4' and 180 pounds so i dont know guys. please help me out.

[NorthernCali33]

o and i was looking at the 6' 4" nsp fish http://www.paddlesurfwarehouse.com/nsp- ... board.html

[NorthernCali33]

i suck at typing. sorry. but yea i do good on a longboard, but i need a board to go from beginner to what? intermidiate, this next year while im living in mission beach i want something that i can not only have some fun on, but up my skill level, be able to carve it on a good day. and i will still be taking my board to sc where we can get headhigh to DOH, are fish's and funboards limited to small days?